Some of the problems relating to exercise stress testing can be illustrated by the following contemporary fable:

Sickness, absenteeism, industrial accidents and low morale were all problems with the 2000 employees of Wonder Products. In despair the owner turned to the fitness experts at the local university who suggested a comprehensive physical examination and exercise stress test for all employees. The exercise scientists arrived with their white coats, stethoscopes, and treadmills and after a number of weeks, nearly every employee had been rigorously tested and measured. The results were terrifying. Fitness levels were low, blood lipids (eg cholesterol) were high, most employees were overweight and under-exercised, 15% of those tested showed abnormal ECG responses to vigorous activity, 55% of those tested smoked. It was not surprising that Wonder Products was in trouble.

Counsellors were called in and explained the significance of the results to each employee, and almost every last one vowed to mend their ways. There followed a revolution at Wonder Products, the parking lot was almost empty because everybody either jogged or cycled to work, the cigarette and candy stand went bankrupt, lunch time activity groups proliferated. There was a dramatic change in morale, productivity soared and absenteeism was almost non-existent. When the testing team returned a year later they were amazed to find that the human ruins of yesteryear were fit, slim, smokeless, and virtually risk free from heart disease.

The above, of course, is a fable. The likelihood is that in real life we would have to rewrite the ending. When the testing team returned for their year-end follow-up what they would probably find was, that less than 50% of the employees would show up for a retest because they were ashamed or uninterested, and that few changes would be evident in those who retested.

The moral of the story is, that exercising testing and counselling doth not a program make. There are a number of examples in Canada and the USA where testing has been carried out on large groups, and led to no measurable changes in group behaviour. People feel guilty about being unfit, and guilt is an excellent precursor of resolutions and even unpredictable bouts of activity, but it does not seem to provide sustenance for long term lifestyle change. For exercising testing to be effective it has to be a part of an overall program in which individuals are tested, counselled, directed, motivated, reinforced, retested, and remotivated. Living patterns are hard to change and people need a great deal of support to move from a sedentary to an active lifestyle.

Excerpt taken from "Employee Fitness" written by Dr. Martin Collis

This section will feature excellence in workplace wellness initiatives. If you know of or work for a company that is succeeding in promoting high level wellness in the workplace, please contact us to be featured in an upcoming issue of WELL.

This issue we will feature VanCity Credit Union's workplace wellness programs. Since undertaking an extensive wellness overhaul in the early 1980s, VanCity has emerged as a leader in innovative workplace initiatives. They have been recognized in "100 Best Companies to Work For in Canada" by Innes, Lyon, and Harris, as well as "Canada's Best Employers for Women" by T. Frank. VanCity is in the process of re-evaluating their current Living Well system as they progress to an extensive corporate-wide needs assessment for their employees.

Currently, VanCity provides all of their full and part time employees with a multi-faceted approach to "Corporate Spirit". These areas include:

• maintaining and improving well-being;
• providing recognition and motivation;
• consulting and support;
• employee advocacy.

LIVING WELL PROGRAM:

VanCity's Living Well program is a points-based merit and reward system for undertaking various activities, lifestyle changes, and educational experiences. It has been so successful within their own corporate culture that they have sold the Living Well program to over 35 companies internationally. To take their community involvement to the next level, VanCity has formally granted the rights for Living Well to the Canadian Mental Health Association, and have empowered them by allowing them to sell the program to other corporations as a means of fund raising.

Employees are encouraged to partake in regular exercise, volunteer in their community, or even surf the VanCity website for wellness points. As with other merit-based programs, employees cash-in for items ranging from sunglasses to gift certificates, pottery to gardening kits. VanCity takes the rewards system one step further by offering self-improvement reimbursements, donations to a selected charity, and reimbursements on running shoe purchases and camping equipment.

WELLNESS 101 & SPONSORSHIP FUNDS
Employees can apply for reimbursement towards any team related athletic, sports, or wellness event. These Living Well teams compete in various local sporting leagues and community events. Wellness 101 allows local branches to book and plan in-house educational seminars on current workplace wellness issues ranging from occupational safety, nutrition, parenting skills, smoking cessation, stress management to alternative health practitioners.

EAP
As with most major corporations at this time, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP's) are seen as a component of workplace wellness, and not as THE workplace wellness program. Free, confidential counselling services are provided to all VanCity employees and their immediate families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

WELLNESS 101 & SPONSORSHIP FUNDS
Through Living Well Sponsorship Fund, employees can apply for reimbursement towards any team related athletic,sports, or wellness event. These Living Well teams compete in various local sporting leagues and community events. Wellness 101 Fund allows local branches to book and plan in-house educational seminars on current workplace wellness issues ranging from occupational safety, nutrition, parenting skills, smoking cessation, stress management to alternative health practitioners.

CARE DAYS
As a part of VanCity's proactive approach to wellness, sick days have been replaced by care days. The purpose of Care Days is to provide staff with increased flexibility in responding to emergency personal and family illness, when the employee is the only resource to provide care. The care days allow employees up to 2 consecutive days for personal illness, caregiving for an immediate family member, or emergency child and elder care arrangements. Employees can apply for a total of 12 Care Days per calendar year, and days that are not used accumulate towards a Managed Disability Leave pool.

As mentioned earlier, VanCity is in the process of evaluating and re-vamping their employee wellbeing services. A new needs assessment will allow planners to provide specific resources to specific employees in a grass roots approach to wellness, while moving away from the older merit-based systems of external motivation. Regardless of any changes, VanCity promises to expand the limits of workplace wellness as they steer their corporate resources to provide a safe and healthy workplace while increasing their employee and customer satisfaction, morale, and ultimately, profitability.

For more information on VanCity Credit Union visit: http://www.vancity.com or call Naslishah Alizada, Wellbeing Coordinator: 604-877-7586.

by Dino Asproloupos

This section will feature excellence in workplace wellness initiatives. If you know of or work for a company that is succeeding in promoting high level wellness in the workplace, please email us so we can feature your organization in an upcoming issue of WELL.